Tag: cinnamon

That crisp coolness is finally in the air and I’m finally comfortable enough saying that Autumn is here. Autumn means apples, pumpkins, and long evenings on the couch sipping tea or a nice hot cocktail.

The ingredients

Bourbon Apple Cider

5 oz apple cider

2 oz bourbon

1 apple, thinly sliced

1 tsp. honey

1/8 tsp cinnamon

In a sauce pot combine cider, apple slices, honey and cinnamon, bring contents to a boil and then simmer for five minutes. Strain mixture (save apple slices for garnish) and add bourbon. Pour into glasses, garnish with apple slices. Serve warm.

This reminds me a lot of the Honey Bourbon Toddy, and why shouldn’t it? Both are hot drinks and share the majority of their ingredients. Where the Toddy has water this has apple cider but other than that, and lemon juice, the two drink are almost identical. This is certainly a drink you want to sip, the bourbon is very noticeable with a nice apple crisp taste as it rolls down your throat. Sit down, relax, sip from this drink and let the season sink into you as you sink into it.

I could only avoid making the Hot Toddy for so long. This is the Quintessential cold weather cocktail. Sure, there’s Irish Coffee but it doesn’t have the universality of the Hot Toddy. Irish Coffee is something you drink after eating or when you first wake up (Hey, Lushes! How ya doing?) the Hot Toddy can be enjoyed any time of day and with or without a meal. It’s warmth and love distilled into a cup.

The ingredients

Honey Bourbon Toddy

3 oz. bourbon

1 oz. honey

1/2 cup of hot water

1 cinnamon stick

lemon peel

Stir honey and water until honey dissolves. Add bourbon. Pour into a toddy cup or mug. Twist a strip of lemon peel over each drink, then add to glass. Stir with a cinnamon stick and serve.

Oh, wow. This was an amazing cocktail and just perfect for the overcast and windy day that I made it on. The warmth of the water and alcohol and the sweetness of the honey feels amazing when it goes down your throat. D didn’t want to have a cocktail but once she had a sip of mine she changed her mind! She was surprised at how warming the drink was and after finishing declared *this* version of the Hot Toddy her new favorite cocktail. I can’t disagree with her. This was really, really good and the perfect cocktail for a cold, cold night.